Safety escape device



2 Sheets-Sheet l July 24, 1951 Filed Aprll 17 1947 F. R. WILSON SAFETYESCAPE DEVICE Jul 24, 1951 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed April 17, 1947 wa -92971141 57 9 r Patented July 24, 1951 TED STATES PATENT OFFICE *SAFEIYESCAPE DEVICE FrankrR. Wilson, Iiexington Ky. Application April 1'7,1947, 'seriarNos'zszgoso --4L;Glaims. (Unfit-32) "lfhe invention.relates etc a device :Lfor use by ran irfdividualvescaping f-fromiabuilding during an --emergencyand when the usual means 'or avenues""fonexodus are inoperative or blocked.

Itis-a general object of thisiinvention to provide adeviceior use by anindividualrin-escapinig i'aburning building-or th'e like which is .of'n'ew=and iimproved construction, readily applied rand operatedbythe'average:mernberof the pub- Ilic, and readily adjusted to "carry anweight individual. H h-rmore'particulartobj ectis to provide anescapedevice-composed of aiharn'ess and a re1-=of=stee1 defile, t the .-'speedor rrro'ta-tion of the reel being '-i-fu'i1 control *of the individualmaking the descent so that the speed of descent' is: governed"byitheindividudl.

hnother object is to provide an escape dev-ic'e "ofithecharacter-definedin which'the meanscontrolling the rate *of -*rotation -='of *the reel isso 'arranged that brakingpressuretending to arrest rotation (if the"reel automatically applied should the individuai-making thedescent-release his grip on the controlfmeans-either voluntarily "orinvoluntarily, wilfully or unwi'lfi'fll-y, through Imnic forloss of'consciousness.

Mother "object "is to provide-an escape device of "theicharacter"describedhaving'two means for controlling the braking'-'pressure applied "to the reel one'rof which is provided to adjustthedevice for the weight to be "'carriedflthereby but which may also 'heemployed "during descent 'to' "adjust thehrakingipressure, the "other ofwhich control means is Temployedfprimarily to "govern theiraterofiiescent. 1

.A further:"object"is"'toL"provide"-an escape device which is :compact"and comparatively "light in weihvso "thatfit :may be conveniently"stored in :each :hotel "room or "even carried "about by"indiivfdnalsaspartof'their luggage.

."Stillaffurth'er objectisto provide an escape idev'icexwhich can :beeconomically manufactured,

"will remain safe'tand operative without repeated inspectionor'checking, "has a cable thatis not "readily destroyed by fire, and lie.so constructed thatnailliparts-exceptthexcable descend withth'eindividual making the escape .so that the major martidfllthe device issavedas an incident to the itsafe escape of "the individual 'usingthesame.

..Other objects and advantages will become apmarent .Ifrom the.ifollowing detailed description taken in :connec'tion with the..accompanying udiiawing-siin which:

.IFig. .1 ris a perspective view illustrating the devicein operation.

.'1? -i'g,.2 is .talgeneral-i elevational view of the device.

lma-=3 is :a s'diametrical :sectional "view taken approximately alongthe lineA-i of FigF-Z, that As en iafidiameter passing through thespeedof descent controlling lever.

jlFjg. .4..is an send ielevational tview taken from theIlettin-IFiEc3.

"=FigJ-5 is an end elevational view taken from the right in i ig. '3; Whiie the invention is susceptibleof various modificatiensand alternativeconstructions, it is shown in iihe i i rawingsand will be hereinafterdescribed in a"preferredembodiment. It is not intended, howeverjthat theinvention is tobe iimited'therebyto the specific constructionshown. On'the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in-th'e appended claims.

4 ads bcst'seenin Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises generally aharness l0 'to' be-applied "to and "worn L by "the "individual makingthe escape, are'el having :a cable 12 'woundthereon, the reeihingrotatable on means attached to the harness, fiand"means l3 and M"for-controlling rotation of "the reel for governing the '"rateofdescent tofan individual in'the "harness. The harness'maytakexany;oneofmany forms provideditgives suitable; secure and nonpainfulsupport tothe individualto whom it is supplied while" leaving: thehands of'theiindividual free for use. Preferably alsothe harness shouldbesimpleso asto be readily; applied and should either'be "readily shed by theindividual upon reaching safety. or' readily disconnected 'from the.reel '50 that the. individual may quickly depart" from the sceneo'fithe disasterv and not risk the further 'hazardspof falling walls andthe like.

fThe'harness'disc'losed herein by way of examplecomprisesa main strapliiof'leather or "other s iitablematerial which is designed to constitutethe main weightvsupporting member andffunctionsasasling suspensionseat.in whichnthe individual sits, asibestw-seen cinFig. 1. Secured to theapproximate midpoint of the strap l5.fis.austrap ['6 which is intendedto extend forwardly and .then upwardly between the legs of the wearer.At its .npper end, it .is intended to be .secured to 'LthetapproXimatemidpoint of a strap H which .extendslhetween the parts \of .the.main..strap [5 near the ,endstthereof. .The strap .l'! .is,pre'ferialblyapermanently secured. at one; end to 'thetstrap[5.whi1etatsthe other end. 'it-carries a .snap hook J8which.iscsneppednintoea ring [9 .secured in fixedwposition on theopposite portion of the strap [5. The strap I6 isintendedtobefsecured'to the istrap I] ,at the approximate midpoint"thereof and his herein. shownnas carrying "on? its free endasna'pfihooktZhengaging a ring .21 .fixedly secured onttha-strap ll'l..Preferably the harnesszis completed by a :back strap 22 which is:secured to the main strap. :at approximately the same points as ,thstrap rl'lsandh-is :intendedto encircle the. hack oflthe escapee, asshownin Fig. 1, .toprevent the individual from .tilting v11::ackwardlyout .of the harness.

.{Eherreel ll of c-thisdevice comprises :a .metal spook-23 havingaho'llow tubular center 24 :and atcircular'disk125st each end .formingthe 58nd flanges ofitheispool. #Qntthis spool is woundithe safety factorany weight that is likely to be" placed thereon. At the reel end, thecable is.

permanently secured to an eye 26 formed as an integral part of thespool, while at its free end it carries a snap hook 2'! to facilitatethe securing of that end of the cable to some objector element in theroom from which the (escape-is to be made. It will be understood, ofcourse, that if the ,escapedevice forms a standard part of thefurnishings of a hotel room some means, such as arr-eye, will beprovided at one or more windows in the room into which the hook 21 maybe snapped If, however, the escape device is not standard equipmentbutis carried by the occu pant of the room, the end of the cable can besecured to any one of a variety of objects, such as the radiator, theframe of the bed, etc. The spool 23 will, of course, be made of suchsize that there can be wound thereon considerable footage of cable andthe spool, therefore, may vary in size depending upon the size of thecable andthe length of the cable. v v

The spool 23 is rotatably mounted on a shaft in; the form of a bolt 28extending axially through the spool. Also rotatably mounted on thebolt28 are a pair of disks 29 and 30 each disposed'opposite one of theflanges 25 of the has an apertured ear thereto of the harness l0.Preferably, for the reasons above stated, the harness is detachablyconnected to the disks 29 and 30 a'n'd,to thatiend, the main strap l hasat each end a snap hook '32. Thus the harness is secured to'the disks 29and 30 and hence to the reel ll by engagement of the snap hooks 32 withthe ears 3|, and thus an indiv'idualhaving made the descent by aid ofthe escape device can, upon reaching the ground, simply and quicklyunsnap the hooks and leave the scene of the disaster without. the lossof time that might otherwise be incurred in becoming disengaged from theharness. Nonspo0l"23.. Each of the disks 29 and 3i], moreover, 3| forthe attachment 4 each side ,oi the lever 44 at the'por-tion 45, againthrough the medium of a pin 4'83 At the remaining ends, the links 41 arepivotally connected one each to upstanding ears 49 formed integrallywith the disk 30 on the outer surface thereof.

rotatably secured as byriveting, gluing, or the like, to the outsidesurface of each of the end flanges is a'disk 33 of suitable frictionmaterial. Similarly secured to the inner surface of the disk 29 and thedisk are disks 34 of friction material.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the left hand endof the bolt 28 isthreaded and has threaded thereona nut 35. This nut preferably is of thewing type and herein is provided with long 'nutto be readily adjustedmanually. I The'nut is also provided with an inwardly extending annularboss 31 providing a guide or seat for a compression spring- 38interposed between the nut and the disk 29.

At its opposite endythe bolt 28 has a cap 39 1 secured thereto as bymeans of a pin 40 extending diametrically through the cap=and the bolt28. interposed between this cap andthe disk 30' is a second compressionspring. A pair of a cars 42 extend axially from the cap and receivedbetween the ears and pivoted therein as by a .pin 43 is one end of alever 44. The lever has a straight portion 45 at'its pivoted end whichthus extends substantially at right angles to the bolt 28. It is alsoformed with a, second straight portion 46 which extends generallyparallel with the bolt 28 andforms a hand grip portion. A pair of links41 are connected at one end one to slenderdiametrical extensions 36 toenable'the threaded end of the dividual'with thercabletaut and the nowready to make his descent.

It will readily be apparent that the springs 38 and 4|, beingcompressionsprings, will urge the friction'disks 33 and 34 into engagement with oneanother with varying force, depending upon the adjustment of the fffnut35 and the position of the lever 44.. The disks 29and 3|), beinnonrotatably held, by theweight of the-individual in the harness, willact as brakes tending topree vent rotation of the reel ll, vWhati's-more, -it will be appreciated that the nut 35 may be utilized in adual capacity, namely, that of preadjusting the weight that has to beplaced on the reelbefore the same will rotate, and adjust; ment of thebraking actionduring. descent. The lever 44 is employed primarily as acontrol for governing the rate of descent. It willbenqted,

particularly from Fig. 3, that asthe lever v44 is swung toward theindividual making the descent the spring 41 is compressed and thus thepres sure on the frictionaldisks is reducedwith con;-

sequent reduced resistance to rotation of the spool 23. Should theindividual using .the dc;- yice release thelever 44, the sprin 41 will,automatically restore the lever 44 .toits nomal posi tion, shown in Fig3, and willalso restore the full braking action for whichthe deviceWasinitially adjusted so as to prevent uncontrolled descent-under thosecircumstances.

Preferablya locknut 50 is provided at: the bolt 2 1 .0 rev n th 19 trolnut 35 from being backed off andlthereby reduce the braking actionbelow,aeertain desired minimum. Completing the device is a cable guidefi l secured at one end to the disk, and 7 extending longitudinally ofthe, reel The guide St has a slot 52 formed therein extendinglon}gitudinally thereof. and throughwhich the cable l2 ispreferablythreaded. I The guide 5lfeliininates the tendency of the entire unitto'revolve, especially when the reel is held against irot'ation, andthus serves a very important functi n., Y The operation of the device isbelieved' readily understandable fron j the foregoing description.

Suffice it to say, therefore, thatin the-eventToffa fire in a hotel inwhich the device abovedescribed is available for use either becausefurnished/as standard equipment of the'hot'el' or brought in by theoccupant or the room, the occupant would first secure the free endofjthe c'ab'lefto some object within the room. As previously" pointedout, this might bea suitable eye located'near a window and into whichthe hook: ZT'mightbe snapped. If such aneyeis not providedf theoccupantof the room can loop'the free snap: the cable once'or' twiceabout aipipelleading' to a radiator or about the frame of'the' bed andthen snapthe hook 21 backover thecab'le. Next the occupant puts on theha ness) [0, opens the window and climbs out feet'first and on hisstomach, holding onto the window sill with his hands until he haslowered hirnselfso that 111s entire'body is outside of the window."-Atthis stage, the device should be supportin thein individual nextreleases his right hand from the; window sill and grasps the lever 44at'the portion "48'.

He next pulls the lever 44 toward him gradually, thereby permittingrotation of the reel to unwind the cable and hence his descent.Depending upon the extent to which the individual actuates the lever 44,the descent may be made gradually or more rapidly, but is at all timesunder the absolute control of the individual. Should, by chance, theweight of the individual be so small as not to cause rotation of thereel even when the lever 44 is actuated to the limit of its movement,further reduction in braking action can be obtained by adjustment of thenut 35. As stated above, preferably means is provided limiting theextent to which the nut 35 may be backed off so that it is neverpossible to have the reel run absolutely free but a certain minimumbraking action is provided even when the nut 35 is backed off to itslimit and the lever 44 is actuated to its limit of brake releasingposition.

It is believed that I have perfected an escape device which primarilyand foremost will permit of the safe descent of an individual from aboveground level floors of a building in the event of the necessity ofemergency exit. The device can be adjusted to carry any weight from thatof a small child to that of a large adult. Moreover, the device is sosimple in operation that any member of the public, includingcomparatively young children, could successfully manipulate the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for makin an emergency descent from a building comprising,in combination, a harness to be worn by the person making the descent, acable having an end adapted to be secured at the point of origin of thedescent, a reel upon which the cable is wound, means for rotatablysupporting said reel comprising a pair of disk-like elementsadapted tobe attached to said harness and a bolt extending through both saidelements and through said reel with said reel rotatable on said bolt andat least one of said elements movable axially of said bolt, frictionmaterial interposed between each end of said reel and the adjacentdisk-like element, a compression sprin encircling a portion of said boltprojecting outwardly beyond one of said disk-like elements and bearingat one end against the adjacent one of said disk-like elements, and anut threaded on the projecting end of said bolt form ing an abutment forthe remaining end of said spring, said nut being formed withhand-engagin surfaces to facilitate manual adjustment of said nut tovary the frictional braking effect on the rotation of said reel.

2. A device for making an emergency descent from a building comprising,in combination, a harness to be worn by the person making the descent,a, cable having an end adapted to be secured at the point of origin ofthe descent, a reel upon which the cable is wound, means for rotatablysupporting said reel comprising a pair of disk-like elements adapted tobe attached to said harness and a bolt extending through both saidelements and through said reel with said reel rotatable on said bolt andat least one of said elements movable axially of said bolt, frictionmaterial interposed between each end of said reel and the adjacentdisk-like element, a compression spring encircling a portion of saidbolt projecting outwardly beyond one of said disklike elements andbearing at one end against the adjacent one of said disk-like elements,a cap secured on the projecting end of said bolt to form an abutment forthe remaining end of said spring,

a lever pivotally mounted on said cap, and a pair of links pivotallyconnected at one of their ends to said lever and at the other of theirends to the adjacent disk-like element whereby pivoting of harness and abolt extending through both said elements and through said reel withsaid reel rotatable on said bolt and each of said disk-like elements andsaid reel being movable axially of said bolt, friction materialinterposed between each end of said reel and the adjacent one of saiddisk-like elements, means at one end of said reel for adjusting thedevice normally to support a predetermined weight suspended in saidharness, and means at the other end of said reel including a leveroperable to reduce the braking effect on said reel.

4.11 device for making an emergency descent from a building comprisingin combination, a harness to be worn by the person making the descent, acable having an end adapted to be secured at the point of origin of thedescent, a reel upon which the cable is wound, means for rotatablysupporting said reel comprising a pair of disk-like elements adapted tobe attached to said harness and a bolt extending through both saidelements and through said reel with said reel rotatable on said bolt andeach of said disklike elements and said reel being movable axially ofsaid bolt, friction material interposed between each end of said reeland the adjacent one of said disk-like elements, means at one end ofsaid reel for adjusting the device normally to support a predeterminedweight suspended in said harness, including a compression spring bearingat one end against one of said disk-like elements and a nut threaded onthe same end of said shaft and forming a limiting abutment for the otherend of said spring, and means at the other end of said reel forcontrolling the braking effect on said reel during descent to govern therate of descent comprising a cap fixed on said bolt, a compressionspring interposed between said cap and the adjacent one of saiddisk-like elements, and a lever operable to relieve to varying extents,depending upon the extent of movement of said lever, the force exertedby said last named spring to restrict the rate of rotation of said reel.

FRANK R. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

